Recycled cork grain in the garden

Cork is the ultimate environmentally friendly product. Even cork that has been used can be given a new life. You may already know of wine cork recycling - where used wine corks are collected and then re-purposed into other cork products including flooring, building material or used in crafting. Another cork product that can be re-purposed is granulated cork (or cork grain). Cork grain is often the bi-product of wine cork production. The grain is then used in many applications including as a stand-in for dirt on movie/theatrical sets. Once the grain has been used for its intended purpose, it can actually be used again. Among other uses, it works and looks great in a garden - offering texture and weed control. 

From monastery to Korek Jelínek Czech headquarters, the story of an historic building.

Korek Jelínek Czech Republic is headquartered in the city of Rychnov u Jablonce nad Nisou. This  year the historic building that houses Korek Jelínek is celebrating its 100th year anniversary. This is the story of this remarkable building and the many changes it has seen. If only walls could talk.

Monastery on the left (before reconstruction in 1975).

The building was constructed in 1912-1913 and began its life as a monastery. The sisters wanted to establish a nursery school and they did helping lead the women to a better life. The building served as a nursery school until 1985. The building then served as a creche until 1992 and then the building became part of a nearby grammar school - including after school childcare, school library and activity clubs. In the 1990s the house was no longer used by the school and the little shops in it struggled for business. It was around then that Jelinek Cork Group saw the building for what it was and stepped in to restore it and make it the home for Korek Jelínek. In 1995 construction began on the old monastery and by 1996 it was operating as Korek Jelínek. The inside of this historic building is well decorated (for both decor and functionality) with cork!

Current Korek Jelínek building.

The Korek Jelínek building -as it looks today.